A group of high school students gave the crowd a treat when they imagined how a group of monks under a vow of silence might put on a Christmas program. With cleverly designed signs and the music playing in the background, these young monks "sing" the "Hallelujah Chorus" - it clearly brightens everyone's spirits!

The vow of silence in Christianity is something that can be traced all the way back to the Old Testament. Author Andrew March used a verse in Psalms as an example and attributed it to David, "Benedict and his monastics would know from chanting the Psalter every week the verse that follows: 'I was silent and still; I held my peace to no avail; my distress grew worse, my heart became hot within me. While I mused, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue'" (Psalm 39: 3). This type of willful silence and reflection is now a centuries-old tradition in a variety of religious communities.

The students take this sacred tradition and creatively perform the "Hallelujah Chorus" in a way that had everyone in the crowd in laughter. Without uttering a single word, the group of "monks" did a wonderful job - what a fun program!